AIBU to think I could learn to drive in a week?

[HamJam1]

Passed my theory but I still cant drive, dont have access to a car and cant afford lessons, practical js booked. Wooo!
A friend has suggested i go spend a week at her place where she can teach me, how possible do you think it is to learn to drive a manual car in a week? Is that insane? I dont even know how to turn an engine on

That's very much the point - it's getting in enough hours of decent driving experience AFTER a good instructor has taught you the basics at a pace they (because they're experienced) judge is right for you. I'd had about 20 lessons before I went out with my (then) husband and we started with driving local routes and graduated up to longer drives. He was brilliant at it - really calm (I would be crap at doing this with a learner).

Also, the test isn't simply about knowing the key test manoeuvres - each test is unique because you don't know what the roads are going to throw at you and you really do need quite a bit of experience to read the situations quickly and react appropriately.

I did an intensive course over 4 days in an automatic and then passed my test at the end. I had had previous driving lessons about 5 years before that. It was exhausting and I don’t think I would have coped if I hadn’t driven before.

Im looking at Blackpool now. Why are there so many intensive courses there in particular?

He sounds like an absolute arsehole

Why are you in such a rush? Why don't you take lessons properly?

And chilled on Sunday? 🤣

I don’t know about now but 20 years ago when I learned week-long intensive courses were a thing. If you were a quick learner it was definitely possible to learn enough to pass the driving exam, with a proper instructor of course.

But if you’re doing it this way, you should do the pass plus afterwards and definitely make sure you have access to a car to embed what you’ve learned.

Who’s car are you planning on taking the test in??

If you can do 1000kms in a week then you’ll have a reasonable amount of experience. My kids had to do 3000 km before they could take their tests in France.
There is no shortcut to experience.

Do you have a car? How are you planning on taking your test without a car?
Driving is expensive, do you have the money to run a car?

I mean it is theoretically possible. I know when I was 17 in the 1990s I had a few friends at school who went from nothing to passing their test in 18-20 hours of lessons.

I took my first test at 25 hours which was probably normal at that time, failed twice and passed on the 3rd time probably with 45 hours of experience which was considered a bit slow.

I would question if the tests are getting harder or if instructors are taking it a bit slow now though. From talking to younger people it is almost like you are very advanced if you take a test with 40 hours of lessons.

You don’t need to learn to drive in a week, no one could do that, you need to learn to pass the test, two very different things.

The fact you’re considering suggests you’re feeling confident? I think confidence goes a long way with driving. I’m not sure it’s possible tbh unless your friend is a driving instructor/examiner, but if you’re both committed and look up the test system rigorously (maybe use AI) it might get you a good way along.

I think more experience is very much needed now than when I learned to drive (in West London) in 1990. The roads are much busier everywhere and - this a crucial and relevant point - there are a lot more inexperienced, unlicensed and uninsured drivers on the roads. Being sufficiently road aware takes a lot of learner hours.

"Confidence" from someone who's never started a car is - in my opinion - a weakness. "How hard can it be?" is arrogance, not confidence.

Disagree, my husband was a confident learner and went on to be a confident and impeccable driver who went on to drive professionally. One of the most dangerous traits in a driver in nervousness in my experience. There’s a difference between cocky and confidence.

I don’t know why people are using intensive courses as evidence it can work, unless OP is about to drip feed that her friend is an instructor/examiner it will not be the same thing. Intensive courses will have clear curriculums, know the test process inside out, everyone knows just knowing how to drive doesn’t pass a test.

This would work if you already had lessons and wanted an intensive week before your test. You won’t be test ready in week

If you're not bothered about what car you have at the end you could learn in an automatic instead - more and more cars are becoming electric/hybrid, so more will be automatic anyway. You won't learn to drive and pass in a week, but you could learn quicker in an automatic as there is no gears and clutch to worry about.

I understand what you’re saying about dual controls but it still doesn’t mean every single learner will crash without them, of course some may but not all

I was coming on to say this. I don’t see any need to learn manual any more unless you already have a manual car.

I’m glad you asked this, as I had the same reaction and also have decades of safe driving under my belt. What do you mean @Meadowfinch ?

Not a chance. I did a course, 3hrs a day for 2wks and passed but that was with a proper instructor.

I did it in a week with a proper instructor.
I failed my first test and took it again the next day.
You would be absolutely mad to do it without dual controls. The damage to the car including the clutch could be very expensive. I also think they could void your insurance if you had an accident

When is your test booked for OP?

@Yellowshirt was this a long time ago? Because these days it takes about 6 months to get a test.